Authors explored the impact of dopamine transporter SLC6A3 gene deletion in zebra fish. DAT deletion results in digging behavior and loss of specific TH positive neurons. Clozapine (2.5 microM) restores this behavior and neuronal morphology of mutant fish. Clozapine increases erythropoietin expression and rescues the behavior. Transgenic expression of erythropoietin partially rescued the behavior in SLC6A3 gene mutant zebra fish.